Beliefs

The Bible

We believe that every book contained in the Christian Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit, inerrant (without error) in its original language and contains everything we need to know about God and his will for humanity (2 Timothy 3:16-17). As the inspired word from God, the Bible is not meant to be bent or twisted to suit our beliefs, but rather must be diligently studied in its original context and meaning (Acts 17:10). We believe that the word of God is living and active, containing principles that transcend time and culture and an understandable message that can transform our world (2 Peter 1:19-20; Hebrews 4:12).

God

God, the Father, created the world and everything in it (Genesis 1 & 2; Revelation 4:11). He breathed life into man and in him we live and move and exist (Acts 17:24-28). The Father is slow to anger and abounding in grace and mercy (Numbers 14:18). He wishes that all people would repent of their sin and be saved (2 Peter 3:9). His mercy is balanced by his perfect justice, in which he disciplines us with love in his eternal attempt to win our hearts over to him (Isaiah 30:18; Hebrews 12:5-11).

Grace

God’s grace is one of the most powerful forces in our universe. Grace can be seen as a gift that God gave to mankind, which we do not deserve. It is by his grace that we are saved (Ephesians 2:8). God’s grace has been offered for all and extends to every person, regardless of the type or the number of sins they have committed. His grace is able to cover all (Romans 3:23-26 and 5:15)! As incredible and powerful as God’s grace is, it never goes against human will. God will never save a person or keep a person saved who does not wish to have a relationship with him (Romans 1:18-25; Galatians 1:6-9; Galatians 5:2-6). God’s grace is given under the condition that we repent (turn away) from our sinful lifestyles and begin pursuing a life of righteousness. God does not ask us to live perfect, sinless lives. Otherwise, Jesus’ sacrifice would have been unnecessary (Galatians 2:20, 21). Rather, he expects us to confess (admit to) our sins regularly and to do our best to walk in the light (righteousness) and not in darkness (1 John 1:6-9).

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit was involved in the formation of the world as he moved over the waters from which the world was born (Genesis 1:2). Today, he is involved in the spiritual formation of every person when he baptizes us in the waters of baptism (Acts 19:1-6; 1 Corinthians 12:13). Jesus sent him to live inside every baptized believer so that we can become sons and daughters of God (John 14:16). The Holy Spirit now comforts us in our times of distress and weakness. He intercedes for us before the Father in our inadequate prayers (Romans 8:14-17, 26-27). He searches our hearts and knows our every thought (1 Corinthians 2:10). He convicts us to live righteous lives, exposes the sin of the world and serves as a reminder of the coming judgment (John 16:7-11).

Jesus

Jesus Christ is the son of God and he is God (John 1:1). He created the world and everything in it. Just like the Father, his desire is to save all mankind from sin (John 3:16-17). For this reason he humbled himself by giving up his rightful place in heaven and came down to earth becoming fully human, just like us (Philippians 2:5-11). He did this to experience our pain and loss and to sympathize with our weaknesses and struggles. Yet he still retained his
full godhood and lived a sinless life in order to become the perfect sacrifice for the sins of many. Jesus died on the cross for us; for our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). He was buried in a tomb and rose from the dead on the third day, having overcome the forces of sin and death. He is the way, the truth, and the life and only through him can we find salvation and spiritual transformation (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

Salvation

We are born innocent and pure into a world infected with sin. With time, when we begin to understand good and evil, sin infects us and we die spiritually. God teaches us that at this time, a separation is created between us and him, which cannot be bridged by human effort. But God is a loving and merciful god who wants all people to be saved. So he has given us good news – the gospel of our salvation! This good news (the gospel) tells us that there is a way to bridge that gap and restore our relationship with God by having our sins washed away and becoming cleansed by the perfect blood of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that the only way to be freed from sin is to die to yourself. The same passage (Romans 6:3-7), tells us that the only way we can die to our sin and be freed from it is by going through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus with him. This death, burial and resurrection happens spiritually when we are physically immersed in the waters of baptism. God’s word tells us that our hearts are uncircumcised (unclean) before we are baptized in obedience to the gospel. And it is God who does the work of circumcising our hearts and cleansing our souls in the water to prepare a place for the Holy Spirit to reside. Salvation can only be found through Jesus and in Jesus. There is no other entity in heaven or on earth that can save us. Although this salvation does not happen through any work we can do, God asks us to follow his plan and obey the gospel: the good news of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus through which we are saved (Romans 1:16)

The Trinity

Although the word ͞trinity͟ is not found in the Bible, the concept is evident throughout its message. The Bible teaches that God’s identity consists of three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All three persons are spoken of as equals by Jesus Christ and were all present at the time of creation. (Genesis 1:1-2, 26; Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 1:1, 14; Colossians 1:13-17).